a short office play in many verses

count jacket storms into the room

he fiddles with his faux moustache and pulls at imaginary threads in the air

 clarissa is impervious to his airs and grasps at her pearl choker

"delia, please bring me my powder" she whispers throatily

delia rushes to clarissa's side and opens up the silver box revealing powder

she holds it under clarissa's nostrils which seem to quiver and grow at the sight of the powder

 the count crosses the room to clarissa's side:

"what in damnation is going on in here?!??? where is my aide?"

he grabs an umbrella which he mistakes for his sword and exits left with a flourish of jackets and velvet pompadour

meanwhile...in a shady ornamented aspect of the building

the one legged aide is bus sprinkling flatteries on the duchess visiting from China

he strokes the slight beard he has grown for the occasion and pushes it towards duchess Mau so that she might be tempted by his wiles

the duchess lays a hand on his peg
and asks whether he might fancy a fox trot

to be continued...